Category Archives: Parenting

Parenting

Best Winter Activities for kids 2021

Winter break is just around the corner, which means we have to start planning winter activities to keep our kids happy and engaged while indoors. The holidays will feel different this year, but there are plenty of virtual and in-person options to have fun with our children. 

We’ve been working on a list of the best winter activities to keep your child entertained while getting prepared for their future in school and in life. We chose each of these activities thinking of their fun, educational and engaging nature. These winter activities can teach foundational STEM skills that will benefit our children in and out of the classroom.

So, get ready to find the perfect activity to make this winter unforgettable for you and your children.

Here are the best winter activities for kids in 2021:

Winter activities for kids

Build something amazing challenge

What better way to explore engineering than getting hands-on and start building with objects you can find at home! Gather any kind of object that could be useful: plastic cups, boxes, popsicle sticks, LEGO blocks, books, etc. Start exploring how different heights, shapes, sizes or weights work for different purposes and structures.

Idea: Create a challenge around the activity. Challenge your children to recreate an existing structure, like a famous building or bridge, with the objects you find at home.

Enjoy a family STEM movie night

Nurture your child’s interest in STEM with a STEM edition movie night! STEM is everywhere. You can find science, technology, engineering and math in almost any movie you choose. Gather the family and choose between science and technology documentaries, biographical films or science fiction flicks to find the role of STEM in the movie.

Idea: You can watch The Theory of Everything to be inspired by Steven Hawking’s life as a physicist. You can also try Radioactive, which highlights Madame Marie Curie’s brilliance and her courage as a female scientist. Hidden Figures is another great choice and tells the inspiring true story of pioneering female, African-American scientists at NASA. 

Create an offline game:

If your child loves playing games, it’s time to design their own! Game creation can really improve your child’s problem-solving skills, creativity and confidence. You can start by brainstorming and helping them think of the fundamentals of the game: How many people can play the game? Does the game have rules for the players? What is the game’s objective? What characters will the game include?  After that, it’s time to start building the game. Create a game board, characters, cards, dice, costumes or any other pieces needed to play the game.

Idea: You can choose to create a physical game or program the idea of the game online. 

Design a video game

Creating their own video game is an amazing way for kids and teens to put their ideas into action! If your child is more into online activities, you can integrate online STEM activities with a purpose. By learning a kid-friendly coding language children can combine their interests with valuable 21st century skills.

Idea: Try out our Online or In-person Winter Tech Camps. We’ve designed the ultimate Coding, STEAM, Game Design, Engineering, and Digital Design camp experience for children led by expert instructors with extensive virtual teaching experience!

Experiment with science

Explore science at home with easy-to-do science experiments! You can get your kids excited about science by trying out science experiments with nothing more than objects you can find around the house. You can try from making frozen bubbles or crafting crystallized ornaments to be amazed with magic milk. Next time your kids tell you they’re bored, set up one of these experiments and watch them be amazed!

Idea: Pinterest has an amazing repertory for fun experiments for kids, teens and the whole family! 

We really hope these fun winter activities will make this winter break fun and productive! 

Parenting

Best family-friendly video games

Playing video games with your kids is a much better practice than you may think. Of course, we don’t want our kids growing up in front of the screen, but taking the time to share some quality screen time with them is a great idea. Video games have become more than an entertaining tool; video games are incredible tools to learn through play, experience and action.

Learning through games is often used to make knowledge more accessible and easy to connect with not only for kids, but also for adults. Think of Duolingo or Fitbit, apps designed to help engage its users with learning. Video games can do that too. That’s why we’ve created a list of games that are both fun and educational that you definitely should try with your children at home. 

Best family-friendly video games

The Little Big Planet series:

This game series follows the adventures of Sackboy and his friends. The first two games are mostly platform-jumping and avoiding obstacles to make it to the next level. Players can also create their own levels, customize characters or build complex contraptions in a level. The game also helps develop logic, spatial orientation skills, design and problem solving.

Minecraft:

Minecraft is like virtual Legos. Minecraft has so many educational benefits for kids that it’s widely used in schools and tech camps to teach creativity, problem solving skills, engineering concepts, math and much more. Minecraft lets its users explore and create worlds by gathering resources, crafting tools and engaging in some combat. The flexibility of the game allows kids to approach the game in multiple ways which makes it more interesting for kids. It is also a great way to change sides and get involved letting your kid teach you something for a change.

Snipperclips:

This is a largely underrated co-operation game that’s perfect for parents and their children. Screaming instructions at each other, laughing hysterically and high-fiving as you snip your way through really fun levels are some of the characteristics of this game. Players must come up with creative ways to solve multiple puzzles, each one with unique objectives, such as fitting inside a shape template, carrying objects, or cutting out a pointed end in order to pop balloons.

Kerbal Space Program:

With this game your child can explore physics, the solar system, mathematics and basic aerospace engineering. This is a rocket simulation game, and it focuses on a space program for an alien race called the Kerbals. The idea behind the game is to build a rocket that works based on realistic aerodynamic and orbital physics. Once you get your Kerbals into space, you can explore the solar system, build bases and construct space stations. The game got a lot of attention from NASA and the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to planetary science and planetary defense.

Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego?

Explore the capitals of nations across the globe, locations of historic events and other geographical facts. Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego? is a series of three video games that use Google Earth software and can be played by clicking the icon of Carmen Sandiego. Players use the magnifying glass to interview witnesses in different cities, gather clues while learning about geography and history. When they think they’ve figured out the next step, they can click the airplane icon to fly to the next city and continue unraveling the mystery.

Video games have become an excellent way to learn, have fun and, as parents, to be able to connect with our children. Have you tried or heard your children talk about any of these games? Tell us in the comments if you would try any of these video games with your children, or if you have any others you enjoy playing together!

Education, Parenting, Skills

STEM skills for the future

STEM-based education teaches children more than math or science concepts, it puts an emphasis on preparing children for the future. The skills that STEM education gives to students extend beyond these fields. In fact, STEM helps children develop valuable skills that enable them to be successful in any industry or field they choose. But what are those valuable skills and how can they use them for a better future?

Before stepping into the skills derived from a STEM-based education, we should understand what STEM really means. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The term STEM has become recurrent in school’s curriculum, education policies and skills needed for employment.

STEM skills for the future

STEM is a method of education where these subjects are taught together and not individually. It shows the bridges between these valuable subjects by putting students at the core of the experience. STEM focuses on hands-on experiences, making children active learners instead of passive listeners.

Skills Derived from STEM-based education

The focus on hands-on learning that STEM education encompasses, added to real-world applications, helps children to develop fundamental skills for their future. These so-called 21st-century skills include media and technology literacy, initiative, flexibility, productivity and communication. Perhaps even more importantly, STEM-associated skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, and acceptance of failure are inherent to this learning style.

Regardless of the interests, passions, or future career paths considered by children, these skills are preparing them to be successful and innovative wherever they go. 

Problem-solving

One of the skills that really makes the difference in any life situation your child could face is problem-solving. One can think of all of life as a series of problems of different complexities, in addition to the problem-solving nature of school, university, or in careers: society requires more problem-solving skills than it ever has before. STEM develops problem-solving skills like no other subject because it encourages kids to experiment, make mistakes and learn from their own experiences to find or create solutions.

Creativity

The ability to think creatively and change standards are the basis of innovation. Creativity isn’t as simple as it sounds, but it is not a skill you are simply born with either; you can train creativity. Learning how to think outside of the box can change the way you approach different situations on a daily basis. STEM-based education teaches how to look at a problem from a different perspective while fostering creativity.

Flexibility

In a world where advances in technology, inventions and knowledge change by the day, flexibility is definitively a much-needed skill. Since technology and science change so quickly, flexibility is also integral in success in STEM-related education since they’re always updating themselves. The ability to be flexible will prove incredibly valuable to keep updated in the ever-changing environment around us. Last, learning to adapt quickly will help your student to adapt to a fast-paced career and job market. 

In addition to these life-changing skills, there are also solid numbers related to the increase in STEM-related job opportunities as shown below.

Projections of  STEM-related occupations:

  • According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 75% of fast-growing occupations require STEM skills.
  • Employment in STEM occupations grew by 10.5% or 817,260 jobs, between May 2009 and May 2015. Compared with 5.2% net growth in non-STEM occupations.
  • Computer occupation is showing the highest number of STEM jobs because of the consistent progression in the digital sector. 
  • As a result of the increasing participation of consumers and businesses in the digital economy, computer-related occupations are expected to grow exponentially in the next 10 years. 
  • STEM workers command much higher wages and are also less likely to experience joblessness than their non-STEM counterparts.

-U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Jan, 2021

(Here you can dive even deeper into the stats surrounding STEM-related occupations)

The data above is solid: needs in the job market are changing. That’s why we place so much emphasis on the importance of learning to code from a young age. Preparing children today to become the innovators, inventors, designers and coders of tomorrow begins with a STEM-based education. From schools, camps, and after-school programs we can create hands-on and real-world experiences to prepare our children for a lifetime of success. 

Let us know how you feel about STEM in the comments and if you’re interested in another blogpost about how you can start exploring STEM skills from home!

Parenting

Parents guide to the digital age

We live in an era where children are “Digital Natives” – let’s face it, technology feels like it was designed for them.  So, as caring parents, it’s important for us to keep up with the digital age. But how? In order to help children have healthy usage of digital tools, we as parents must assume our role in actively teaching these skills.

Digital devices, media, virtual learning and online-mediated interactions are an integral part of our world today. The benefits that the digital age offers us are endless, if used appropriately.

Children know how to upload and download stuff, edit photos, search for content, and fix grandma’s phone when she deleted all its apps. They navigate digital tools like fish in water to such an extent that it’s common to hear parents bemoan “My kid knows so much about technology that I feel I could never keep up”. 

Parents guide to the digital age

It’s great to see how children seem naturally born with these skills, but it also might be a little scary. There is no doubt that bad stuff can happen to kids with unsupervised use of technology, from being exposed to inappropriate content to inappropriate people. But the solution is not necessarily taking away their devices or banning an app. That can be kind of like saying cars are dangerous, so we’re going to completely stay away from cars. Instead, we can better understand technology, relate to it, connect with it and, teach them how to use it.

How to do our homework?

Being absolutely updated about every single app, game or social network our children could have access to is impossible. But, there are a few tips we could use to create a more conscious digital age navigation. 

Critical thinking in the digital age

Children navigate the digital age innocently. Teaching them critical thinking to analyze certain situations that may arise in this environment will benefit their use of technology. Having a talk with your children about the importance of privacy and the dangers the internet has is key. 

Children need to know that just as they can benefit from the internet, there are also dangers that they can detect and avoid themselves. Teaching them they can analyze and make decisions, guided by you as their parent, will help them throughout their life. 

Taking care of the landscape in the digital age

As we mentioned before, cultivating critical thinking in your children is fundamental. But, just as we must promote their independence and responsibility, it is also our duty to take care of the content they have access to. Doing a little research about the games they play or the influencers they follow will give you a glimpse of their digital environment. Then, you can decide for yourself which apps or games are appropriate for your kids. Is there a way to control whom they connect with on a game platform? Do you want to limit their access to those games with a certain ESRB rating: EC for Early Childhood, E for Everyone, E10 for Everyone 10 and up, T for Teen, M for Mature, and AO for Adults Only.

Also, there are thousands of apps or games labeled as educational, but this isn’t always quite right. Products pitched as educational are also worth checking out. Organizations like Common Sense Media reviews apps, games and programs to guide you in making the best choice.

Make a family digital use plan

The use of technology shouldn’t just be monitored for your children, but also for parents. Parents are number one role models for children. Technology, when used thoughtfully and appropriately, can really enhance our daily lives. Media shouldn’t displace important activities like face-to-face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play or exercise. 

Co-play, co-view and co-engage with your children’s movies and games encourages bonding, learning and social interaction. By playing a video game or watching a show together, you will have the opportunity to share experiences and become a part of it. The idea is to not just monitor them online, but interact with them and help mold their experience! 

In the end, kids will be kids. They could make mistakes when using digital tools. Helping them understand that technology is great while being used properly is the best thing you can do for them in our digital age.

Find out some really educational, fun, and safe activities for your children online by checking out our After-School Classes!

Parenting

Screen time for kids: How much is too much?

Nowadays kids and screens have practically become inseparable. Wherever and whenever you go, you can see children interacting with tablets, phones, PCs, game consoles and TVs. And despite some of the benefits technology can have for children, it makes you wonder, how much screen time for kids is too much?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) children ages 8 to 10 spend an average of 6 hours per day in front of a screen. Kids ages 11 to 14 spend an average of 9 hours, and teens ages 15 to 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen. This makes an average of 7.5 hours of screen time per day for children from 8 to 18. 

Quality vs. Quantity

This might sound like a lot, and that is probably right depending on the quality of the screen time. And that’s because screen time for kids should also be measured in terms of quality and benefits for your child. Apart from the online school hours due to Covid 19, your child can enjoy positive educational screen time. 

Not all screen time is equal: a violent war style video game is very different from an interactive educational online game. Those two examples epitomize clear instances of low-quality vs. high-quality screen time for kids.

Screen time for kids

Setting guidelines for screen time for kids

Regardless of whether it is high-quality or low-quality, you need to establish some guidelines about screen time for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have updated their guidelines to reflect the realities of today’s digital world. The AAP’s new recommendations are consistent with technology being present in our children’s lives. 

The fact that technology is ever-present in our children’s lives makes it ever-challenging to set a limit for screen time. But, we can’t deny that some kids are growing dependent on having constant access to their devices. The new guidelines from the AAP offer a helpful hand in setting healthy guidelines to help protect our children from developing an unhealthy relationship with technology and their devices.

Below, we have summarized some of the AAP new guidelines about screen time for kids for you:

Healthy role models

Healthy role models for the use of technology is essential. Children tend to mimic parents, so you are their first role model in the way they interact with technology. You can start by setting limits on your own for electronics use – that includes your cell phone! Notice your own technology use, and take a break when you need to protect your own mental health too. Try to spend time outdoors, engage your kids with physical activities, or just read books. 

Rules are still needed

Kids, and even parents, need rules for the use of technology. Try to create routines for the use of devices:  technology should not take the place of sleep, physical activity, reading, reflective downtime, or family connection. You can also set rules about how much time your child can play online with friends, which sites they can visit, the games they can play, and the movies they watch. Here you can get some tips to help you make the most of screen time for your kids and minimize online risks.

Get involved in their digital world

Try to engage with your child’s technology interests. You can get involved in your child’s interests by learning about the games they play or the Youtubers they follow. Explore the internet together, learn more about their favorite games like Minecraft (Learn here more about Minecraft) or Roblox. Being more actively involved can also help ensure your child’s protection from accessing things you would prefer they don’t access.

Show them technology has pros and cons

It’s always easier to follow the rules when you understand the reasons behind it. Explain to your kids that technology can have many benefits, but it also has its dangers and limits. Kids can learn a lot from educational content on the internet, but they can also be exposed to inappropriate content. Take steps to make your child conscious of what’s allowed and what’s not in their technology use. 

Set time without technology

Turn off your electronics at certain times you set as a family during the day or on specific days of the week and make it a family ritual. A little digital detox can improve your child’s well-being. It’s always important for kids to have time to engage with activities that don’t involve their digital devices. 

It is clear that the key to promoting a healthy relationship with technology is to set healthy rules. As parents we should seek strategies to make screen time for kids as high quality as possible. Having your child learn how to create with technology by coding, designing and testing their own video games is an excellent way to have high-quality screen time. Signing your child up for a tech class can really maximize the educational benefits they will get from computer time while providing them with a safe environment to explore tech in a positive way.

Last, please feel free to explore our online After-school classes, Private and Semi-private classes to make the most out of your child’s screen time!